Pattern of the Week: Citizen Pullover

Spring weather can be unpredictable, especially here in northern Colorado—it’s not unusual for it to be freezing in the morning and 75 degrees in the afternoon. So as we transition from winter to spring, I’m always on the lookout for clothes that can bridge the weather gap. Enter the Citizen Pullover by Kabila Sri Ponnusamy from Interweave Crochet Spring 2017!

The short sleeves on this top are great for warmer days, but the thick fabric will still keep me warm during those chilly mornings. I could also wear a long-sleeve tee or button-down shirt underneath on unexpected snowy days. I’m a sucker for anything striped (I’m wearing a striped top as I write this!) so this top is right in my wheelhouse, but the diagonal stripes on the Citizen Pullover will make this piece stand out in my wardrobe.

All those fun stripes are created with Tunisian crochet that’s worked from the top down in spiral rounds using a double-ended circular technique. The stripes are worked in the body only, and the sleeves are created using plain Tunisian knit stitch. And there are no floats in the colorwork; instead, how the hook enters the stitch determines the color. Although this top looks complicated, it’s actually pretty simple to make and doesn’t need much finishing, so you can have it off the hook and in your closet in no time!

I know feelings about Tunisian are strong in the crochet community—some of you love it and some of you hate it. I don’t want to wade into the middle of this argument, but I will say that I don’t mind Tunisian. I think it creates really interesting and beautiful fabrics, and as Dana pointed out in her blog post “10 Things I Hate About Tunisian Crochet,” it shows just how diverse crochet can be. But whatever your feelings are on this technique, I think we can all agree that in the case of the Citizen Pullover, it’s been used to create a truly gorgeous top!